Awkward Moments While Traveling: Part 4
Traveling isn’t always fun. Sometimes it’s awkward, frustrating, or even makes you fear for your safety.
This post is dedicated to all those unpleasant times.
“ Can You Help Me Remove a Drunk Tongan?”
It’s Sunday on a small island in Tonga. According to Tongan law, it is illegal to work on Sundays. The island does not contain any villages, just resorts.
Taking a break from my hard life of swimming and sunbathing, I found myself at my resort’s bar, along with a Kiwi chef, who worked at a resort on the island, and Victor, a Tongan whale watch and swim guide, who worked at another resort.
I order a beer, and Victor tells me the drink, apparently one of many he’s bought for himself and others, is on him. I accept it and thank him. He proceeds to tell me in a slurred speech about his job and how much he loves it. Victor offers to buy me and the Kiwi another round of drinks, but we decline, thank him, and tell him to save his money. After he tells me the same story several times, I leave to swim. Before I leave, the bartender tells Victor that they will not sell him anymore alcohol, so he leaves and heads over to talk to a couple laying on the beach.
After my swim I head back to my area to shower. Each guest at the resort has their own secluded area with a tent or cabin and a personal bathroom. Standing in my tent, still in my swimsuit, I see Victor stumble into my area. He stares at my bathroom, shifting his weight from one leg to the other. Victor doesn’t seem to notice me, so I ask him if he needs to use the bathroom. He continues to stare and manages to nod. Awkwardly, he maneuvers his way there.
At first, I thought he just needed to pee, but then I start to hear him throw up. I quickly cover myself with a towel and go outside. I ask Victor if he’s alright. He says “Yes,” and asks if I need to use the bathroom. I don't answer. A few minutes pass. Every now and then I hear the sound of gagging and spitting. I’m unsure of what to do. I ask him again, loudly, if he needs help. Victor then crashes to the floor, busting the bathroom door open. I walk over, but he gets up before I could help him. Then he just stands there. That’s the moment I’m unsure of how this could go. Victor seems harmless.
I ask him if he wants water and motion for him to follow me back to the bar. He walks towards the beach, then turns around, enters the guest area next to mine and quickly returns back to my area. This time Victor sits on a log, next to my hammock, and doesn’t move.
Annoyed (I really want to take a shower), I walk over to the bar and find Kim, one of the resort’s employees. It’s an odd request but I ask her if she could help me remove a drunk Tongan from my area. Kim follows me back to my site, but Victor is gone. She walks onto the beach and tells me he is walking back to the resort he works at. Before she leaves, Kim asks if I need my bathroom cleaned. I examine the toilet and luckily the mess is minimal: a few spit puddles. I tell her I’m fine.
I finally take my shower. Every few minutes or so I nervously peer through the bathroom door to see if Victor would return, listening intently for footsteps at the same time. As I try to wash my face, I discover that my face wash is missing. That Fucker! He took my good face wash! I check to see if Victor stole anything else, and found he also took one of the resort’s towels.
At dinner, word had spread amongst the employees about my Tongan mishap. Becky and Mahe, the resort managers, speak to me in private and apologize profusely. They tell me that from now on they will no longer serve alcohol to Tongans at the bar. I know it’s the right decision, but I still feel bad. They proceed to tell me that they are sorry that I had to be the example to make that decision.
I’m sorry I had to be that example as well.
